Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente Announces Resignation After Urda Disaster
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has announced his resignation following the train crash in Urda, which resulted in the deaths of 69 people. He has also declined to participate in the upcoming snap elections.
This announcement was made during his address to the Standing Deputies' Committee of the Congress regarding the railway disaster in Urda (Toledo Province), where 69 people died in a train collision. Puente stated that he is taking political responsibility and has refused to participate in the upcoming early elections.
According to the minister, dispatchers from the operator Adif permitted the AVE train to continue moving after the LZB safety system failed, despite an Iryo train being ahead on the track. Puente insisted that the Madrid-Seville line remains safe and highlighted a modernization program for the line costing 780 million euros.
The opposition has demanded the minister's resignation since the first days following the disaster. The Popular Party and Vox have accused him of attempting to evade responsibility.
This year, the Madrid-Seville line has already seen two major accidents. Earlier in the year, 46 people died in a train crash in Adamuz. The Adif workers' committee plans to push for a strike on November 17 to demand strengthened safety measures.
